"American justice has finally made this decision": the United States began the process of deportation of Maria Butina to Russia

Russian citizen Maria Butina released from the American prison in Tallahassee, Florida. Soon she will be deported to Russia. This was reported in the press service of the US Immigration and Customs Police, under whose supervision the Russian woman is until returning to the Russian Federation.

“The U.S. Immigration and Customs Police Control and Deportation Unit detained Maria Butina, a thirty-year-old Russian citizen, after she was released from federal prison today. For security reasons, the Immigration and Customs Police did not disclose details of the expulsion procedure until successful deportation, ”the report said.

Thus, the Russian woman spent in custody a little more than one year and three months. Recall that in April 2019, a U.S. court found her guilty of conspiring to work as a foreign agent without proper registration with the U.S. Department of Justice.

Butina’s release was already commented by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

“We are pleased that American justice has finally, after very long delays, made a decision that we have been striving for for a long time,” the Russian Foreign Minister said.

The Russian Embassy in the United States has already reported that Maria Butina will arrive in Moscow on October 26. In an interview with RT, the girl’s father, Valery Butin, said that he was looking forward to her daughter’s return, but expressed concern that American services could create obstacles to her return to her homeland.

“Along with the joy of expectation, anxiety remains. We have already suffered so much. The term of her imprisonment was constantly extended, although there was regular hope before the trial that she would be released. Now our fears are connected with bureaucratic delays that the immigration service can arrange, ”added Valery Butin.

Speaking about the future plans of Maria, Valery noted that she would stay to live and work in Russia.

“Everything that happens is not related to justice”

Recall that in the United States Butina was accused of working as a foreign agent without proper registration with the Ministry of Justice. Allegedly, by order of a “senior representative of the Russian government,” she deliberately made contacts with “American political figures” in order to advance the interests of the Russian Federation.

She was detained on July 15, 2018 in Washington. Prior to the verdict, the court sent the Russian woman into custody, arguing that. otherwise she could have escaped.

The Russian woman herself denied the accusations. Employees of the Russian embassy in the United States repeatedly visited Butin. It was reported that the Russian woman was detained in difficult conditions, and the measures applied against her were “on the verge of torture”.

“It seems that the US withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council was related to the intention of the American authorities to untie their hands for such provocations,” the embassy said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry also emphasized that they considered Butina’s persecution as political, and demanded that it be stopped.

In December, Butina made a deal with the investigation - she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to harm the United States. According to her father, she could go for it because of the conditions of detention.

“I think that for this reason I agreed - because of the conditions of detention. If she was free, she would prove her innocence, seeking complete justification, ”he emphasized in a conversation with RT.

The fact that Russian President Vladimir Putin also did not receive any instructions from Butin’s Russian authorities.

“The fact that this Butina is forced to admit something there, I don’t understand what it can admit there, because she did not carry out any tasks of the state bodies of Russia. I can say this responsibly, no matter what she says even under the influence of threats of imprisonment of 12-15 years, ”the head of state emphasized.

“The terrible shame on American justice”

On April 26, 2019, Butina was sentenced to 18 months in prison. In this case, the court took into account the time spent in custody, in connection with which this period expired in early November. Later it was reduced by 10 days - until October 25. At the same time, the court approved Butina’s deportation to Russia after her release.

A few days after the announcement of the verdict, the Russian woman was able to communicate with reporters on the phone. She stated that she did not expect such a harsh punishment.

“I think this is completely absurd ... This is a terrible shame on American justice,” she said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry called the verdict Butina politically biased and not based on real offenses.

“From the moment of detention, it was pointed out that the charges against her for striving to influence American domestic political processes are completely far-fetched and fabricated. The self-agreement to which she was forced by harsh conditions of imprisonment and threats of a huge prison term does not change the essence, ”the agency’s comment says.

“Our compatriot was convicted only for being a citizen of Russia. She became a victim of fierce confrontation between various US political forces and the unbridled anti-Russian campaign in the spirit of McCarthyism, ”the Foreign Ministry emphasized.